Electric railway.



No. 696,023. Patented Mar. 25, |902.

E. W. .FARNHAM- ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Applination Bled Sept. 23. 1901.) (no nodal.) 3 sheen-sheet l.

No. 696,023. Patented Mar. 25, |902.

E. W. FABNHAM. ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

(Application tiled Sept. 98. 1901 3 Shoots-Sheet 2.

Patented Mar. 25, |902.

E W FABNHAM ELEcTmo RAILWAY.

3 Sheets-Shee 3.

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El) lVILSON FARNHAM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SEEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 696,023, dated March 25, 1902. Application filed September 23, 1901. Serial No. 76,289. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l', ED WILsoNFARNI-IAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook'and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to those systems of electric railways wherein the third or contact rail is made up of a series of insulated sections, which sections are charged one after another as the carpasses over them and places each by the movement of the section or otherwise in electric communication with the conductor main or cable that supplies current to the system.

An object of this invention is the improvement in the construction of electric-railway systems of the kind mentioned.

A further objectliesin the improved means for suspending the movable sections of the contact-rail.

A further object consists in the improved means for supporting the fixed or guide sections of the contact-rail.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a diagrammatic representation of a portion of an electric railway embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the arrangement of the contact-rail for passing a streetcrossing when said contact-rail is elevated above the ground. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion of a movable contact-rail and the switch actuated by the movement of the rail, also showing the contact-shoe and the guiderail adjacent to the contact-rail. Fig. a is a top plan view of the means forsupporting the fixed and the movable rails within the wooden casing extending beside the track when the contact-rail is to be placed above the surface, portions of the casing intermediate the supporting-standards being broken away to attain greater clearness. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section on dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. G is a top plan view of the means for supporting the sections of the movable rail. Fig.' 7 is a transverse vertical section on dotted line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the pivotal link for suspending the movable rail-section. Fig. 9 is a view of an insulating-block, two of which are employed in supporting the hanger for the pivotal link. Fig.

10 is a fragmental view showing a guide for directing the shoe upon a movable section of the contact-rail. Such a guide is necessary at street-crossings, as shown in the diagrammatic view Fig. 2. Fig. 1l is a top plan view of the contact-shoe. Fig. l2 is a view, partly in section, illustrating the insulating-guide for a movable section of the contact-rail. Fig. 13 is a top plan view of said guide. Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. l2, illustrating one of the insulated supporting-blocks for supporting the xed guide-rail.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

This invention is adapted to be placed either above the surface of the ground beside the road-bed or in a suitable conduit beside the track or between the rails thereof.

A represents an upright supporting-standard secured in any suitable manner to the tiesof the road-bed orwithin the bottom of a conduit. At its upper end it carries a continuous wooden casing A', extending parallel with the track. Within this casing and placed opposite to each supporting-standard A and secured thereto by means of the bolts A2 is a bracket A3, having upon its uppersurface the groove or depression AA1 for receiving the conductormain A5. At opposite sides this bracket is cut away for a short distance at AG to provide recesses for receiving the insulating-blocks A7, of wood or other suitable material, which insulating-blocks are provided with the inwardlyextending ears A8 for engaging the end Walls of the bracket A3 to hold the insulating-blocks A7 in place. The tops of the blocks AT are provided with the recesses A9 and with the holes A10, extending through the blocks from the middle portion ot' said recesses. These recesses are adapted to receive the ends of the supporting-hanger B, one of which is placed in each of the brackets A3. The hanger B comprises a top plate B', rounded at its ends to fit within the recesses A of the insulating-blocks A7 and having the holes B2, adapted to coincide with the holes A10, extending through said insulating-blocks to receive the securing-bolts B3. The plate B is provided with a transverse groove B4 to provide aresting-place for the conductor-main A5. Extending downward from the under side of the IOO top plate Bl are two ears B5, perforated to receive a hardened triangular pin B3.

Links C, composed of the two side members C', are adapted to be supported upon said triangular pin Band at theirlower ends are provided with openings C2 to receive the end of a pin passing through the movable section of the contact-rail.V The arms C are secured together at their middle portions by a rivet C3, extending through suitable openings in said arms. The rivet C3 also holds two cap-plates C4 in frictional contact with the outer sides or arms C", the cap-plate under thc head of the rivet C3 being capable of an oscillatory movement upon said rivet, so it may be turned to one side, as shown in Fig. 8, to permit of the insertion or withdrawal of the pivotal pin extending transversely through the contact-*rail and upon which pin said rail is supported.

D is a section of the contact-rail.

D is the pivotal pin extending transversely through a suitable opening in said rail, the outer ends ot which pin lie Within the openings C2 in the lower ends of the sides C of the links C. The rail D is supported by two or more of the links C. A contact point or iinger D2 is fixed to one side of each section D of the contact-rail and is adapted to act as one part of a switch (to be later herein described) for making electric connection between the section D and the conductor-main A5.

E is a contact-shoe carried by the car. It is composed of two contact-blocks E', their adjacent faces being beveled at their-ends and covered with the insulated metallic strips E2, the insulating-strip on one of said shoes providing a yielding contact with the contactrail by means of the backing-springs E3 of said shoe. The contact-blocks are xed upon the guide-rods E4, supported by the car.

F is a two-point switch secured to the casing A in electric connection with the conductor-main A5. The contact-point D2 extends upward and is adapted to be placed in contact with either one of the two contact-points of the switch by the movement of the rail D upon its link-supports. When the contactpoint D2 is in contact with either one of the points of the switch, the movable section of the rail carryingthe contact-point is charged with electric current.

F is an insulated guide-block carried by the bracket A3 and bifurcated at its lower end to receive the top of the rail D to guide said rail in its longitudinal pivotal movement. This guide-block is insulated by' the split wooden bushing F3 and is held in position by the clamp F3, secured to the side of the bracket A3 by means of suitable bolts.

Gis astationaryguide-rail. Itissuspended within the casing A in line with the movable sections D of the contact-rail in any suitable manner. Its purpose is to hold the two members of the contact-shoe C separated, so that they shall pass from one movable section D to another without shock or jar. The stationary guide-rail is supported by means of the specially-constructed brackets illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, having insulated supportingblocks similar to those F.

G is the supporting-block for the stationary guide-rail, G2 the insulating-bushing, and G3 the bracket for holding the block G' in position. The bracket G3 is adapted to ext-end from one side ot' the casing A to the other side thereof, and the insulating-bushing and the guide-block are frictionally held in place by the cap G4 and the bolts G5. The guiderails are secu red between the lower bifurcated ends of the guide-block by rivets G5, passing through suitable openings in said rail and said guide-blocks.

H represents two guide-arms for directing the contact-shoe upon a short section of guiderail G when said shoe has left the guide-rail to pass a street-crossing, as shown in the diagrammatic View Fig. 2.

I-l represents bolts, and H3 represents sleeves for securingthe guide-arms H in position within the casing A.

In operation the conductor-rails comprising longitudinally-1novable sections D of the contact-rail and fixed sections G of the guide-rail are placed alternately in longitudinal series and supported beside the track,as represented in Fig. 3, or within a suitable conduit below the surface, and the two-point switches F are placed in electric communication with the conductor-main A5. The frictional contact IOC between the contact-blocks E' of the contact- C, moving the contact-point D2 into contact'I with one of the two points of the switch F, thereby placing the section D of the contactrail in electric communication with the conductor-main A5 and charging said section with the electric current. The contact-shoe is in electric communication with the translating mechanism (not shown) and the current therefore is conducted to the motor to drive the car.

The V-shape pivotal pins B5 and D' make knife-blade antifriction-bearings for the support of the movable rail-sections D and permit of their easy movement.

I claim as my inventionl. In an electric railway, in combination, a conductor-main; a series of guide-rails; means for supporting said guide-rails; a series of standards; a bracket secured to each of said standards; a pivotal link suspended in each of said brackets; and a moving contact-rail having a pivotal connection with the lower end of said pivotal link.

2. In an electric railway, in combination, a conductor-main; a contact-rail comprising a number of independent sections, alternately fixed and movable; a series of standards; a bracket foreach of said standards; a hanger IIO supported in certain of said brackets; and a pivotal link suspended in said han ger and having a pivotal connection with the movable seclion of the contact-rail.

3. In a meansiorsuspendinga contact-rail for electric railways, in combination, a standard; a bracket secured thereto; a pivotal link suspended in said bracket; and a contact-rail having a pivotal connection with the lower end of said pivotal link.

4. In a means for suspending a contact-rail for electric railways, in combination, a standard; a bracket secured thereto; a hanger in said bracket; a pivot in said hanger; a link suspended upon said pivot; and a contactrail pivotally suspended in the lower end of said pivotal link.

5. In a means forsuspendinga contact-rail for electric railways, in combination, a standard; a bracket secured thereto; insulatingblocks in said bracket; a hanger mounted upon said insulating-blocks; a pivot in said hanger; a link suspended upon said pivot; and a contact-rail having a pivotal connection with the lower end of said pivotal link.

G. In a means forsuspending a contact-rail for electric railways, in combination, a standard; a bracket secured thereto; two insulating-blocks in said bracket; a hanger mounted upon said insulating-blocks; a knife-edge pivot in said hanger; a link suspended upon the knife-edge of said pivot, having an opening in each of its ends; and a contact-rail having a knife-edge pivot adapted to lie within the opening in the lower end of said pivotal link.,

7. In a means for suspending a contact-rail for electric railways, in combination, a standard; a bracket secured thereto; insulatingblocks in said bracket; a hanger mounted upon said insulating-blocks, said hanger having two depending perforated ears; a knifeedge pivot supported in the perforations of said ears; a link provided with perforations in its opposite ends, suspended upon said knife-edge pivot; a contact-rail having a knife-edge pivot adapted to lie within the opening in the lower end of said pivotal link; and a cap-plate secured to the link for holding said rail-pivot in position.

8; In a means for suspending a contact-rail for electric railways, in combination, a standard; a bracket secured thereto, said bracket being provided with depressions at its ends to receive the conductor-main; insulatingblocks in said bracket; a hanger mounted upon said insulating-blocks, said hanger having a transverse depression for receiving the conductor-main, also having two depending perforated ears; a knife-edge pivot supported in the perforations of said ears; a twopart link suspended upon said knife-edge pivot, said link being provided with openings at its upper and its lower ends; cap-plates secured to the sides of said link, for covering the openings at the lower end thereof; and a contact-rail having a knife-edge pivot adapted to lie in the lower opening of said pivotal link.

9. In a means for suspending a guide-rail for electric railways, in combination, a standard; a bracket secured thereto; an insulating-bushing; a supporting-block within said bushing, bifurcated in its lower end; and means for securing the contact-rail between the bifurcated ends of said block.

IO. In a means for suspending a guide-rail for electric railways, in combination, a standard; a bracket secured thereto; a pivotal link suspended in said bracket; a contact-rail having a pivotal connection with the lower end of said pivotal link; a guide-block bifurcated at its lower end; an insulating-bushing for said guide-block; and means for securing said guide-block and bushing to said bracket.

ED vWILSON FARNHAM.

Witnesses:

IV. S. WHITTLESEY, R. W. WILLIS. 

